Online Learning Update

January 18, 2020

Report: Shrinking share of adults thinks college is ‘important’

Filed under: Online Learning News — Ray Schroeder @ 12:03 am

Jeremy Bauer-Wolf, Education Dive

About half of U.S. adults (51%) think having a college education is “very important,” according to a recent poll from Gallup that solicited responses from around 2,000 people.  However, the data shows the public’s view of higher education has diminished in recent years. In 2013, 70% of respondents to a similar survey said college was “very important,” though a bigger share of respondents in 2019 said college was “fairly” important (36%) than did in 2013 (23%).  The decline was pronounced among two groups: adults ages 18 to 29 and self-identified Republicans. Pundits have expressed concern about research that shows waning trust in academia among conservatives.

https://www.educationdive.com/news/report-shrinking-share-of-adults-thinks-college-is-important/569701/

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January 17, 2020

How the Next Decade’s Technological Tsunami Will Change Life as We Know it

Filed under: Online Learning News — Ray Schroeder @ 12:10 am

Nick Bilton, Vanity Fair

And yet a decade from now, on the eve of 2030, we’ll look back at today in astonishment at how primitive life was in 2019. By then, it’s likely that cars will drive themselves. They won’t even look like cars, more like traveling gyms or gaming cars or mobile beds to nap on during your commute. Some will fly. (Maybe most of them will.) The TV on your wall will be replaced by wallpaper that screens images. Your phone could be replaced with a contact lens, or some glasses that (finally) look like glasses. Siri or Alexa will feel like another human living in your house—a creepy, invasive, all-knowing human—that will not only be able to understand sarcasm and intonation but will be able to identify which family member is talking to it, and respond with sarcasm and intonation in kind. You won’t shop on Amazon; Amazon will know exactly what you need, and when you need it, and boxes of groceries or diapers or dog poop bags will just show up at your house in what some people are calling “zero click shopping.”

https://www.vanityfair.com/news/2019/12/new-technology-2020-will-change-life-as-we-know-it

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China has started a grand experiment in AI education. It could reshape how the world learns.

Filed under: Online Learning News — Ray Schroeder @ 12:05 am

Karen Hao, MIT Technology Review

As machines become better at rote tasks, humans will need to focus on the skills that remain unique to them: creativity, collaboration, communication, and problem-solving. They will also need to adapt quickly as more and more skills fall prey to automation. This means the 21st-century classroom should bring out the strengths and interests of each person, rather than impart a canonical set of knowledge more suited for the industrial age. AI, in theory, could make this easier. It could take over certain rote tasks in the classroom, freeing teachers up to pay more attention to each student. Hypotheses differ about what that might look like. Perhaps AI will teach certain kinds of knowledge while humans teach others; perhaps it will help teachers keep track of student performance or give students more control over how they learn. Regardless, the ultimate goal is deeply personalized teaching.

https://www.technologyreview.com/s/614057/china-squirrel-has-started-a-grand-experiment-in-ai-education-it-could-reshape-how-the/

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The Decade Great Education Became More Available

Filed under: Online Learning News — Ray Schroeder @ 12:03 am

Gregory Ferenstein, Forbes

When I think back on the decade, one area of the tech industry stands out as having made big strides on a long-held dream: education. One of the great promises of the information age was that it would usher in an era where nearly anyone around the globe could have access to some of the best teachers and educational resources. The 2010s made a huge leap forward toward that goal.

https://www.forbes.com/sites/gregoryferenstein/2020/12/31/the-decade-great-education-become-more-accessible/#778f36f34ea3

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January 16, 2020

2019’s Most Popular Massive Online Courses According to Class Central

Filed under: Online Learning News — Ray Schroeder @ 12:05 am

By IBL News

ClassCentral.com issued a list of the 100 most popular free online university courses of 2019. These MOOCs have been developed by 68 universities. In the past eight years, over 900 universities have launched 13,500 online courses, which have been taken by 110 million learners. Class Central’s ranking is based on data generated from the users on its website, specifically regarding enrollments and bookmarks.

https://iblnews.org/2019s-most-popular-online-courses-according-to-class-central/

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Will ‘No Code’ App Builders Mean Fewer Developer Jobs?

Filed under: Online Learning News — Ray Schroeder @ 12:02 am

Nick Kolakowski, Dice

Unfortunately, more than a few executives might make that kind of “logical” leap and begin reducing their numbers of tech professionals on staff, figuring that other employees with a bit of training can pick up the proverbial slack. Of course, this is a mistaken assumption—these no- and low-code platforms, although increasingly sophisticated, can’t handle many of the development tasks that companies need. (They also can’t handle the building and maintenance of the rest of the tech stack.) Indeed, most data suggests that software developer roles will only increase in coming years. According to recent data crunched by The Knowledge Academy (which provides online training courses) and Glassdoor, the United States will add more than a quarter-million new software developer roles by 2026. But “citizen coders,” combined with the rise of automation, means those developers will need more highly refined skill-sets if they want to land and preserve their jobs.

https://insights.dice.com/2019/12/30/no-code-app-builders-fewer-developer-jobs/

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A Good Learner Consults Many Teachers

Filed under: Online Learning News — Ray Schroeder @ 12:02 am

Nick Douglas, LifeHacker

When you want to learn a new skill, don’t use just one book, or app, or YouTube tutorial. Try a lot of them, stick with a couple of them, and occasionally consult others. No teacher or tutorial can encompass all the valid ways of learning a thing. A guide to precise classical piano cannot teach you jazz piano. Strunk & White cannot teach you to write a florid fantasy novel. Bob Ross cannot get you into the Guggenheim. If you want to get serious about a skill, you have to have more than one influence. You have to be ready for new challenges, you have to find your own voice, you have to adapt to added difficulties that your main teacher may not anticipate.

https://lifehacker.com/a-good-learner-consults-many-teachers-1840729127

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January 15, 2020

2020s — the Decade of AI and Quantum

Filed under: Online Learning News — Ray Schroeder @ 12:08 pm

Ray Schroeder, Inside Higher Ed

Make no mistake, we have crossed the threshold into the fourth industrial revolution that will most markedly advance this decade through maturing artificial intelligence, ultimately driven by quantum computing. The changes will come at an ever-increasing rate as the technologies and societal demands accelerate.  That includes higher education. The centuries-old model of the faculty member at a podium addressing a class of students who are inconsistently and inaccurately taking notes on paper or laptop will seem so quaint, inefficient and impractical that it will be laughable. Observers in 2030 will wonder how any significant learning even took place in that environment.

https://www.insidehighered.com/digital-learning/blogs/online-trending-now/2020s-decade-ai-and-quantum

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Why Ball State University is seeing more adult, part-time grad students

Filed under: Online Learning News — Ray Schroeder @ 12:10 am

Seth Slabaugh, Muncie Star Press

The university says it has seen 69% growth over the past five years in the number of students taking all of their classes online. “The most important thing to take from this … is we know that the majority of our growth in online programs are part-time, adult students at the graduate level,” Trudi Weyermann, assistant provost for learning initiatives, told the university’s board of trustees recently.

https://www.thestarpress.com/story/news/education/2019/12/27/why-ball-state-university-sees-more-adult-part-time-grad-students/2751369001/

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Top football players are a class apart on many college campuses — due to online course offerings

Filed under: Online Learning News — Ray Schroeder @ 12:05 am

By Associated Press

Heisman Trophy winner Joe Burrow is a hero on LSU’s Baton Rouge campus, but he hasn’t seen much of it because he took graduate courses online. Justin Fields rarely has to step inside an Ohio State classroom building because he also does most of his school work online to accommodate his grueling football schedule.

https://www.marketwatch.com/story/top-football-players-are-a-class-apart-on-many-college-campuses-due-to-online-course-offerings-2019-12-27

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What Is 5G? The Definitive Guide to the 5G Network Rollout

Filed under: Online Learning News — Ray Schroeder @ 12:03 am

By Caitlin McGarry, Tom’s Guide

After years of hype about gigabit speeds that will let you download full-length movies in mere seconds, 5G became a reality in 2019. All four wireless carriers flipped the switch on 5G in the U.S., and you can buy 5G phones that can take advantage of faster speeds on those networks. And yet, people still struggle to explain just what 5G is. Part of the confusion stems from the fact that 5G hasn’t yet realized its full potential. Here’s where we are now, and what we can expect from 5G when the new networking standard blankets the country with faster speeds and lower latency.

https://www.tomsguide.com/us/5g-release-date,review-5063.html

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January 14, 2020

AI, Blockchain to Reshape Education Sector in 2020

Filed under: Online Learning News — Ray Schroeder @ 12:10 am

Sohini BagchiSohini Bagchi, CXO Today

In the past decade, the Internet and digital innovation disrupted the education landscape across the world. Technologies such as artificial intelligence (AI), e-learning tools and virtual reality (VR) are already giving impetus to newer concepts like immersive and experiential learning. This trend of innovation with advanced tools and technologies is expected to continue at a faster pace throughout 2020, believe experts. Some of the trends and practices that are already changing India’s education sector and will do so in the coming months include…

https://www.cxotoday.com/news-analysis/ai-blockchain-to-reshape-education-sector-in-2020/

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Software Engineers Just Want to Keep Learning: Study

Filed under: Online Learning News — Ray Schroeder @ 12:05 am

Nick Kolakowski, Dice

What motivates software engineers to pursue new opportunities? According to data crunched by Triplebyte, “opportunity for professional growth” is the biggest motivator, ahead of salary, better work/life balance, and “impressive team members.” (The company, which tries to streamline the technical hiring process, asks every engineer on its platform about what would excite them most in their next position.) For most software engineers, professional growth is necessary for a healthy career. “It’s not uncommon for us to see skilled programmers left on the sidelines for the sin of sticking with PHP or Perl for a little too long,” Triplebyte wrote in a note accompanying the data. “For all that software engineering is a lucrative and comfortable career in some respects, a smart and career-aware engineer knows that their long-term employability is more precarious than it might look at any given time.”

https://insights.dice.com/2019/12/27/software-engineers-want-keep-learning/

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MOOCs and Open Education in the Global South Challenges, Successes, and Opportunities

Filed under: Online Learning News — Ray Schroeder @ 12:03 am

Ke Zhang, Curtis J. Bonk, Thomas C. Reeves, Thomas H. Reynolds

With e-learning technologies evolving and expanding at high rates, organizations and institutions around the world are integrating massive open online courses (MOOCs) and other open educational resources (OERs). MOOCs and Open Education in the Global South explores the initiatives that are leveraging these flexible systems to educate, train, and empower populations previously denied access to such opportunities. Featuring contributors leading efforts in rapidly changing nations and regions, this wide-ranging collection grapples with accreditation, credentialing, quality standards, innovative assessment, learner motivation and attrition, and numerous other issues.
https://www.taylorfrancis.com/books/9780429398919

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January 13, 2020

Exploiting The Unbundling Of Education

Filed under: Online Learning News — Ray Schroeder @ 12:09 am

Forbes Technology Council

Four out of 10 recent college grads in 2019 are in jobs that didn’t require their college degree. Student loan debt is at an all-time high, as it has climbed to more than $1.5 trillion this year. For students in graduate and undergraduate programs in hot fields like data science, machine learning, computer science, etc., you can create our own “bundle.” By mixing the benefits of your institution’s economies of scale and the unbundling of elite training, you can leapfrog the competition. I have had many students that I have taught machine learning to in graduate programs thank me for recommending they add an online bundle to their current degree. It made them uniquely relevant for a position.

https://www.forbes.com/sites/forbestechcouncil/2019/12/26/exploiting-the-unbundling-of-education/#2d78b7d0692b

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12 Proactive Actions Employees Can Take To Sharpen Skills Outside of Work

Filed under: Online Learning News — Ray Schroeder @ 12:05 am

Forbes Coaches Council

The best companies provide training for their employees to help them perform their jobs better. However, the sad fact of the matter is that employers don’t always offer—or are even able to offer—time or resources for professional growth. For ambitious employees, this could be a stifling situation, but there is hope. Once you have the drive to improve your professional abilities and reputation, several avenues exist for you to expand your skill set.

https://www.forbes.com/sites/forbescoachescouncil/2019/12/26/12-proactive-actions-employees-can-take-to-sharpen-skills-outside-of-work/#1f2e00e66674

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HR in 2020: Reskilling Goes Into Overdrive

Filed under: Online Learning News — Ray Schroeder @ 12:02 am

Dave Weisbeck, HR Technologist

To say that corporate reskilling efforts are important would be an understatement. Billion-dollar retraining programs and on-site corporate colleges have become a reality. In a 2018 McKinsey survey, 62% of executives said they will need to retrain or replace more than a quarter of their workforce before 2023. Business model disruptions, demographic shifts, and automation of rote tasks are putting more pressure on individuals to learn, and on employers to give people the right skills at the right time. There is reason for optimism. As we cover in our HR Trends 2020 report, there have been many advances in learning technology. Learning content is more plentiful, cheap, and accessible with the rise of massive open online courses.

https://www.hrtechnologist.com/articles/learning-development/hr-in-2020-reskilling-goes-into-overdrive/

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January 12, 2020

CIO outlook 2020: Building an explainable AI strategy for your company

Filed under: Online Learning News — Ray Schroeder @ 12:05 am

By Krishna Gade, ITProPortal

Building an AI strategy needs to include explainability for complete visibility into machine-generated decisions. Explainable AI ensures there’s a human present in the loop of the AI process, where the machine provides transparent and reliable explanations, and the human can correct the machine in cases where its decisions are wrong. The sooner such an AI strategy is explored, the sooner an organisation can start reaping AI’s incredible rewards. There is a growing concern in the business community about the implications of artificial intelligence and its automated decision making. We know AI as a set of techniques that allow computer software to learn from old data, and make sense of new data in a way that resembles human intelligence.

https://www.itproportal.com/features/cio-outlook-2020-building-an-explainable-ai-strategy-for-your-company/

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What Will Be The Biggest Edtech Trends In 2020?

Filed under: Online Learning News — Ray Schroeder @ 12:03 am

Meha Agarwal, INC42

The focus today is more on immersive experience-based learning & vocational and skill-based training. Digital innovation is disrupting and redefining India’s education landscape. Interactivity has taken centre stage and data and analytics are playing a key role. “Today, stuff you needed to know at a basic level is available for free on Khan Academy or similar platforms. This “Basics for free” is forcing a higher bar for truly quality education. In future, a platform that provides content, or does a modicum of personalisation will not be enough. A deep understanding of how best to teach and innovation in the way one learns will lead to better learning outcomes of the future, as tech and connectivity are becoming cheaper,” said Manan Khurma, CEO and founder, CueMath.

https://inc42.com/features/what-will-be-the-biggest-edtech-trends-in-2020/

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The UK’s digital skills deficit – is the tide starting to turn?

Filed under: Online Learning News — Ray Schroeder @ 12:02 am

Emily Glassberg Sands, Verdict

But even as the UK is fast becoming the technology centre of Europe, companies are struggling to recruit the talent needed to keep pace with the rate of innovation. And while the government is – rightly – doubling-down on investments in AI projects and talent, progress is at risk of stalling if Brits across roles and industries don’t have the data skills to execute. Today, the UK could already be losing out on as much as £63 billion a year from its digital skills deficit. There is a silver-lining: Brits are taking it upon themselves to upskill and reskill in data and technology subjects through online training.

https://www.verdict.co.uk/digital-skills-deficit-uk/

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January 11, 2020

What holds the key to the future of e-learning?

Filed under: Online Learning News — Ray Schroeder @ 12:10 am

Beas Dev Ralhan, Financial Express

Technology is a big factor impacting the Indian education scenario. We see it in the form of digital content and classrooms, online assessments and cloud-based platforms, augmented by the growing internet and smartphone penetration. This integration of technology with education, leading to initiatives such as online teacher training and integrated learning, is expected to continue in 2020, and at a faster pace. We are also seeing the popularity of new-age pedagogies, empowering students with self-learning abilities through e-learning tools as well as the adoption of experiential learning solutions for a holistic learning experience.

https://www.financialexpress.com/education-2/what-holds-the-key-to-the-future-of-e-learning/1801400/

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